Recovered stolen copper cable / Image: TheSouthAfrican
Two police officers arrested in KwaZulu-Natal for copper theft
Two police officers and their accomplice were arrested in Umlazi, Kwazulu-Natal on Friday for the possession of 200 meters of stolen copper.
Recovered stolen copper cable / Image: TheSouthAfrican
The Hawks arrested two police officers along with their accomplice for copper theft and damage to essential infrastructure.
THE THREE MEN WERE ARRESTED ON FRIDAY
According to Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase the three men aged 44, 41, and 29 were arrested on Friday.
“The trio in two vehicles parked on the side of the road was spotted by the Umkomaas police task team in W section in Umlazi.”
Nkwalase said one of the vehicles was police marked vehicle and a flatbed tow truck.
“The vehicles took off when they saw another police vehicle approaching.”
Nkwalase said the Umkomaas police task team members followed up on the black object that was allegedly dragged by a flatbed tow truck.
THE TRIO WAS POSSESSION OF 200 METRES OF COPPER CABLE
“They called the Telkom representative as well as the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Durban as they suspected that it was the copper cables.”
He said all three suspects were later arrested.
“The 200 meters copper cable was identified as the property of Telkom.”
Nkwalase said all three men are expected to make their first court appearance in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 21 June 2021.
ALSO READ: SAPS retrieve R850k worth of copper cables supposedly belonging to Eskom
Earlier this year IOL reported that the police busted a multi-million rand copper cable theft syndicate operating from the South Coast, seizing more than R4 million worth of copper cables and a host of items belonging to the eThekwini Municipality.
Officers celebrated the bust at a homestead in Inkwali near Illovo on the South Coast, and another in Ispingo on the same day where nearly 50 rolls of copper cables ‒ each costing R80 000 ‒ were discovered last week.
But senior detectives believe it is only the tip of the iceberg as the syndicate’s tentacles reach into the upper echelons of the eThekwini Municipality.
During the raids, three men and one woman were arrested.
“Any suspicion of copper cable theft or damage to infrastructure must be reported to the SAPS on 10111 and the Metro Police Emergency Line 031 361 0000”.
